Rail-joint.



' G. LAKUSKY.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15. 1911.

1,020,562. Patented Mar. 19,1912.

CHARLES LAKOSKY, 0F COOKS MILLS, MICHIGAN.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent Application filed November 15, 1911.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912 Serial No. 660,328.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES LAKosKY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cooks Mills, in the county of Schoolcraft and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to rail joints for railroads and to a construction thereof whereby the rails are held in position without the use of bolts, screws or the like, and whereby freedom for movement under expansion is afforded without possibility of lateral movement.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of an assembled rail joint that embodies features of the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts with the rails withdrawn from the connecting members; and Fig. 3 is a view in cross section through the assembled joint.

As herein indicated, a pair of T rails of the usual conventional cross section have their treads 1 cut away near their extermities, one marginal portion of each tread being notched or gained to form a shoulder 2. A pair of fish plates are provided, one of which has a projecting lip adapted to span the interval between the adjacent end faces 4 of the rail treads when the rails are placed a short distance apart. A foot flange 6 of the fish plate is curved downwardly to mate with and overlap the adjacent margin of the base rail flange 7. The companion fish plate which has a foot flange 9 conforming to the other side of the rail flange 7, is provided with a tread portion 10 with wings 11 adapted to enter the gains of the rail ends and abut against the shoulders 2, the tread otherwise forming a continuation of the rail treads. The outer margin 12 of the tread portion 10 of the fish plate extends over the lip 3 of the companion plate and is under-cut or longitudinally channeled on its inner face to hook over the latter. The end portions of the rail and the fish plates are supported in a cradle plate 13 having inwardly extending flanges 14 adapted to embrace the foot flanges 6 and 9 of the fish plates and hold the latter in close contact with the rail base.

To hold the parts against longitudinal displacement, openings 15 for rail spikes extend through the flanges l4 and the base of the cradle plate and are adapted to register with gains or notches 16 in the embraced port-lons of the rail flanges and corresponding notches in the flanges 6 and 9 of the fish plates. By proportioning the notches 16 and openings 15 to loosely engage spikes driven therethrough, ample provision is made for movement of the rails when contracting or expanding.

By this construction a very rigid su port is afforded the rail joint, the rail ends being prevented from the vertical movements which are common in ordinary constructions and which result in battering the rail ends. The necessity of fish plate bolts and nuts for securing the parts together is obviated and the joint as a whole may be assembled as readily as any ordinary fish plate construction.

Obviously, changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and I do not care to limit myself to any particular form or arrangement of parts.

\Vhat I claim is 1. The combination with a pair of alined railroad rails, of an outer fish plate having a foot flange that overlaps the margins of the rail base flange and an upper marginal lip, an inner fish plate having a footflange that overlaps the margins of the rail base flanges and an upper tread portion interlocking with the upper lip of the companion fish plate and filling the interval between the ends of the rails, the superposed rail and plate flanges having registering marginal notches, and a rail cradle supporting the end portions of the rails and embracing the superposed fish plate and rail base flanges, the cradle having spike openings adapted to register with the marginal notches of the flanges of the plates and the rails.

2. The combination with a pair of alined railroad rails whose tread portions near the ends thereof are cut away and correspond ingly gained, of an outer fish plate having a foot flange that overlaps the margins of the rail base flanges and an outwardly projectin upper marginal lip, an inner fish plate having a foot flange that overlaps the margins of the rail base flanges and an upper tread portion. interlocking with the upper lip of the companion fish plate and filling and the body thereof adapted to register 10 the interval between the ends and gained with the marginal notches of the flanges of portions of the rails, the superposed rail the plates and the rails.

and plate flanges having registering Inar- In testimony whereof I affix my signature ginal notches, and a rail cradle supporting in presence of two witnesses.

the end portions of the rails and having CHARLES LAKOSKY.

longitudinal flanges embracing the super- WVit-nesses: posed fish plate and rail base flanges, the H LOUIE R. lWEssENGER, cradle having openings through the flanges CHARLES GIBBS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

